Tuesday, October 28, 1862

The newly organized 130th Illinois Infantry was put under a Dutch drillmaster.  According to Charles Johnson  he was a short, little fellow, with a red face, sandy mustache and goatee.  He wore a cap, a blue blouse and a sword that dragged the lower end of its scabbard on the ground. 

He gave his commands in quick, nervous, broken English: "Tenyan, Titalyan! Fa'rd March! By Goompanies, Right 'Veel!" (Attention Battalion! Forward March! By Companies, Right Wheel!)  When the evolutions of the green regiment were faulty, it was amusing to hear the scolding in broken English from the drillmaster.

Sunday, October 26, 1862

Unlike yesterday, the morning weather was bright and warm. The newly-formed regiment was formed in line, and the Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel and Major each made a short speech.

The Colonel of the Regiment was Nathaniel Niles, an attorney from Belleville, and the Lt. Colonel was James H. Matheny, a Springfield attorney and former law partner with Abraham Lincoln. The Major was John B. Reid of Greenville.

Saturday, October 25, 1862

This afternoon ten companies were mustered into the United States Army as the 130th Illinois Infantry Volunteers. As the weather was cold and raw, the ceremony was not enjoyed by the participants.

The men volunteered from the following counties: 

Company A from Monroe County

Company B from Sangamon County

Company C from Alexander County

Company D from Christian County

Companies E and F from Bond County

Company G, one-third from Coles County, the remainder from Edgar, Bond, Clinton and Douglas Counties

Company H from Richland and Wabash Counties

Company I from Lawrence and Sangamon Counties

Company K from Clark County

William Fleming, was part of Company F, as was Charles Johnson.

Tuesday, October 14, 1862

There was a flagpole in front of the Commandant's headquarters at Camp Butler.  Early each morning the Stars and Stripes went up, and the flag was brought back down when night approached.  Also, a cannon was fired every day at sunrise and sunset.

Monday, October 13, 1862

Apparently there were so many new regiments arriving there wasn't enough space inside Camp Butler to house them all.  Several newly-formed regiments were outside, and all about the enclosure at Camp Butler, encamped in tents. 

Charles Johnson recalled a surreal scene in these make-shift camps:

After staying in the barracks about two months I remember being detailed for guard duty one beautiful Sabbath day. Guard duty necessitated a soldier's absence from his quarters for twenty-four hours, though he would actually be on his beat with musket in hand but one-third of the time, two hours out of every six. The time referred to, my two hours for duty, came just before daylight Monday morning. 

Looking through the fence about sunrise, where a regiment was encamped just outside, several groups were seen eating breakfast, and these were not composed wholly of men, but were made up of women, girls and children as well. Looking closer, it was seen that they were eating fried chicken, turkey, cake, pie, freshly-baked bread and good butter, biscuit and doughnuts. By this time the man on the next beat had joined me, and the effect the scene had upon the two soldiers within the enclosure can never be appreciated by the reader who has not had a similar experience. The wives, sisters and children of these more fortunate soldiers had evidently come to spend a season with their friends, and had brought such eatables as they knew would be appreciated, for the time had thus literally transferred home-life to camp.

Tuesday, October 7, 1862

In the fall of 1862, many recruits were sent to Camp Butler for drill and organization.  These recruits came to Camp Butler organized in squads, companies, and even regiments.  However, for the most part they were unarmed, unable to march as a unit, and without uniforms.

But what a change a few weeks would make.  Charles Johnson recalls, 

One regiment in particular I recall as presenting the most motley appearance imaginable. Brown jeans was the prevailing dress, but every conceivable cut of coat and style of hat could be seen, and all, from colonel down, were slouchy in attire, and awkward and ungainly in manner and appearance. A few weeks later the same body of men marched out of Camp Butler to take the cars on the Wabash Railway at the front gate of the enclosure bound for the front and the firing-line; but, what a change! Every man was dressed in a new well-fitting uniform, had on his shoulder a bright new musket that glistened in the sunlight, and moved with firm, elastic step. The whole regiment marched with machine-like precision, and kept step with the rhythmic strains of the band at its head.

Monday, October 6, 1862

Being a military establishment, it was necessary to post a chain of guards all around the outside of the fence at Camp Butler.  According to Charles Johnson, the guards were armed with old army muskets of the Harper's Ferry pattern. Apparently the arms were all old and defective in some manner, and considered harmless for the most part. 

When assigned to guard duty, a soldier was given a musket, the counter-sign, and a post to guard or patrol.  After nightfall, a guard would not allow anyone to approach without challenging them.  As Charles Johnson explained, if the challenged party purported to be a friend, he was required to whisper the countersign over the musket's length with bayonet attached.

Friday, October 3, 1862

Besides poorly prepared food, Camp Butler held another change to the daily life of the recruits.  

Most of them were farmers who were used to everyday freedoms.  But the confinement at Camp Butler became very monotonous.  The fence around the camp, and armed sentries, made it seem like a prison.

The recruits were able to secure a pass from the Post Commandant from time to time.  They would visit Springfield, or the nearby woods and farms.

Wednesday, October 1, 1862

With that constant turnover of cooks in the kitchen, the food was prepared inconsistently.  Meat was usually over-done.  Charles Johnson, while noting the variety and quality of the food, expressed disappointment in the inconsistency of the final product.

Potatoes were almost never properly cooked, even when apparently well done, a raw core would frequently be found in the center.  Coffee was, at times, only a little stronger than water, at others it was like lye. But rice, white beans and dried apples gave the amateur cooks the most trouble. 

In fact, Johnson took his criticism a step further.

Good cook stoves and serviceable utensils were furnished by the Government, in addition to rations in abundance and of exceptional quality. The lame factor was in the food's preparation. Had it been possible for the Government to have supplied newly-enlisted companies with good cooks till others could have been trained, an untold amount of sickness would have been prevented, and many graves would have remained unfilled, not to speak of the many thousands who were discharged from the service by reason of ailments due to ill-prepared food.